Keep It Secret
by paintmetheuniverse
Summary: Ryleigh moves away to run from her past. What happens when she runs into Charles Xavier and he shows her that she can forget the past and have a future?
1. Chapter 1

As a set down the steaming mug of cocoa, I contemplated my next move. My bank funds were currently very limited, and I could feel the pressure building in my mind. But I didn't regret it. I had to escape.

Looking back on the last few months, I was proud of my accomplishments. Not many 22 year old girls drain their bank accounts and leave the country to travel on their own. But I don't consider myself like other girls. Hell, if I was, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in right now. As a child, I knew something was always different about me. I felt different, and it was obvious that I struggled to fit in. Unlike other children, I never grew out of fairy tales. I knew that with all the intelligence in the world, and us only knowing a small portion of it, there had to be places and people that we haven't encountered yet. Who are we to decide if there aren't other worlds out there? We are only a small fraction of living beings. I became very interested in discovery itself, and journaled my desires to explore.

I had just had my ninth birthday when I discovered that I could move objects through my mind. I remember my parents fighting and witnessing my father hauling his suitcase down the stairs, yelling profanities at my mother. I ran upstairs to my room and slammed the door, trying desperately to shut their voices out of my head. I felt so angry and helpless and the next thing I remembered was my mirror on my nightstand flying across my room and smashing into my wall into a million tiny pieces. I never touched it. At first I remember being frightened, and trying to piece together the broken pieces of my mirror, but of course I failed. It took years before I finally accepted that I was different. I kept to myself after that, making sure that I did what I was told, and completed school and other various activities. To everyone else, I seemed like a normal child, but on the inside I was screaming. Perhaps that's why I decided to go to England and adventure… either way, I was finally free.

A voice startled me out of my thoughts and I realized that the restaurant that I was seated in was now switching over to a bar for the evening. I was about to ask the waitress for my check when I heard a girl who looked to be about my age muttering under her breath beside me.

"He does this EVERY time we go out. The same damn speech, and these idiot girls fall for it every damn time."

A chuckled and continued to watch her grow more and more agitated with the man sitting at the bar, attempting to flirt with a blonde.

"WELL, it looks like I'll be buying my own drink!" she exclaimed as she dramatically pushed herself in between the couple at the bar.

"Don't worry, I'll buy your drink" I offered, feeling bad for her.

The girl flashed me a smile and ordered, and brought her drink over to my table, hollering over her shoulder "I'm glad someone has manners, Charles!"

Once she reached my table, I stuck out my hand and introduced myself. "I'm Ryleigh."

She smiled brilliantly and said "I'm Raven… and that's my lovestruck brother, Charles." She rolled her eyes.

We continued to make small talk until my ears perked up. I heard Charles mention the term, Mutant, and I almost choked on my cocoa.

"What did he just say" I asked quickly.

Raven rolled her eyes "Don't mind him. He's thesis for school is Mutations and since he is graduating in a few days, it's all he can talk about."

I cautiously began stirring the contents in my cup until Charles walked over.

"Come on Raven, we have to be getting home. I need to put the final touches on my thesis and don't want to be up late" Charles said.

"But I'm enjoying my time with my new friend Ryleigh" Raven whined.

Charles stuck out his hand and formally introduced himself.

"Uh, hi…" I managed to mumble out.

He was much more attractive close up. His eyes were a unique shade of blue, and he pushed his hair absent mindedly out of his eyes. I remembered why I thought men outside of the United States were so damn attractive.

He chuckled and my head snapped up instantly. I was positive I had said that to myself, but he glanced at me with a strange look.

"Well it was nice to meet you both, but I should get going too" I stated.

"But it was so nice talking to a girl for a change! Not that I don't love talking about boring stuff with you Charlie, it's just that… she isnt putting me to sleep with talking about mutations" Raven said sweetly.

"Maybe I will see you guys around" I said smiling.

"Oh yes! That reminds me, I'm throwing Charles a celebration party for his graduation! You have to come Ryleigh! It's in three days and it will be right here. Pleaseeee say you'll come! It will be so much fun to have another girl there and not old stuffy professors" Raven pleaded.

"Sure, I'll be there" I said.

"We would be delighted to have you there. Raven, we must be going now" Charles said, waving to me as he ushered her out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED. :) I LOVEEEE hearing from you guys. It gives me motivation and makes me want to write even more!

I took a deep breath as I walked into the bar. Three days ago, I met Raven and Charles, and they had invited me to his graduation party. I nervously tucked my hair behind my ear and silently cursed myself for even showing up. They probably won't even remember me. I'm such an idiot.

As I walked further in the bar, I noticed a very drunk Charles stumbling back from the keg he just inhaled. I bit back a grin and walked to the counter to order a drink.

"Whiskey, please."

"Let me tell you, it's a lot harder than it looks" Charles states to a pretty brunette behind me.

I gulp down my drink and slowly turn around. He seems to be intently staring at her so I immediately turn away, embarrassed for even thinking that he would remember our small encounter a few days ago. I downed another drink, and headed towards the exit, fumbling for some bills in my purse.

SMACK.

Like a clumsy idiot, I ran directly into the man I was trying to avoid. I looked up into those crystal blue eyes and weakly smiled.

"Um, hi?" I managed to squeak out.

He smiled down at me and I finally saw the recognition in his eyes. "Reeann! Hello!"

"Actually, it's Ryleigh" I muttered, turning to walk away.

"Wait, Raven will absolutely have my head if I don't tell her you are here. She's been talking about you for days" He said frantically, as he grabbed my arm and jerked me towards an empty booth. He stumbled forward and Raven's head came into view.

"RYLEIGH! It's good to see you!"

I smiled at her and jerked my thumb toward Charles. "Is he okay? He kind of seems like a hot mess to me right now."

Raven rolled her eyes "It's about time I get him home. Would you mind helping me?"

She looked at me with pleading eyes, and I couldn't help but agree. I grabbed one of Charles's arms as he stumbled out of the bar with Raven on his other side. We walked down the street silently, until I finally asked where they lived. We went back to a small flat, and I helped Raven get Charles into bed.

"Is he normally like this?" I chuckled.

Raven rolled her eyes again as she turned the lights out. "No. He's normally the stick in the mud. I can't believe how out of control he was tonight!"

I laughed and headed towards the door before Raven stopped me.

"it's so late. There's plenty of room here if you'd like to stay the night… I'd hate for you to walk home alone at this hour. There's so many creeps out!"

I contemplated my options for several seconds before finally agreeing. Hell, I know it is not smart to stay with total strangers, but it beats paying for another hotel when my bank account is rapidly depleating. I curled up on the couch and chatted with Raven until I drifted off into a deep sleep.

"Raven, what in God's name do you think you are doing?!"

A voice startled me rudely the next morning from my pleasant dreams. I turned over slightly with my eyes still shut and tried to block out the conversation which was increasing in volume by the minute.

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. ITS NOT LIKE I DO IT ON PURPOSE, CHARLES… sometimes it just slips" Raven retorted.

"We have a house guest. You can't just walk around in your true form when you know that we don't know her at all. One slip up and that's all it takes" Charles accused, dropping his voice to a whisper.

Now I started to listen in, my curiousity peaking.

"She's really nice Charlie, and you know how hard its been for me to make friends. Please don't ruin this for me. You know she has a kind heart. You've seen it. And if you don't believe me, just read her again."

Read me? I poked my head over the couch and found myself face to face with both siblings. Something strange was definitely going on.

Charles closed his eyes and brought his hands up to his head. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he looked at me incredously. "Why didn't you tell me you were like us?"

"Um excuse me? Can you elaborate on that thought?" I said, as a scrunched my nose, confused.

"You're a mutant!"

I scowled at him and stood up. "I'm not one of those bimbo blondes that you can pick up at the bar using that stupid line."

His eyebrows shot up, and he glanced over at Raven, who was stifling a laugh.

"No, I'm very sorry to offend you, that wasn't what I meant… I was talking about your ability to move objects non-verbally" he said.

Now it was my turn to look shocked. Terrified, I backed away from them. "How the hell do you know what I can and can't do?!" I shrieked.

"_Ryleigh. You aren't alone. There are others who are like you" _Charles said. I looked up at him and saw that his lips weren't moving, and the his voice was inside my head.

"How the hell did you do that?!" I questioned.

He smiled at me. "I'm a telepath. I can read minds and also communicate non-verbally. Raven can shapeshift."

My head whipped around and I saw Raven turn into an exact replica of me. She turned completely blue, with flaming red hair, and then back into her bubbly blonde attire.

I felt the room start to spin and I felt like I couldn't collect my thoughts. For so long I felt like I was alone, unnatural, and a freak. I did everything in my power to shut out my memories of moving objects and now, it all came rushing back to me.

"Are you alright" Charles said kindly as I sank down on the couch.

"Maybe eventually I will be" I said, as I tried to take it all in.

FAST FORWARD SIX MONTHS LATER:

I tiptoed into Raven's room and gently shook her awake. "Pssttt. Raven… you told me to wake you up at 6am" I whispered.

She mumbled then rolled over in her bed and looked at me with tired eyes. "Why the helllll would I want to wake up this early?" she whined.

I smirked at her and said "today's the day that payback is a bitch."

She instantly bolted out of bed with an amazing amount of energy. We silently moved down the hall in our pajamas, trying our hardest not to giggle. I suppose I should explain. Two weeks ago, Charles caught Raven and I trying to sneak out to a party downtown. Instead of catching us in the act, he proceeded to follow us there, and then drag us home like children, completely ruining our "bad girl rep." We swore to get payback… and payback is a bitch.

We continued down the hallway, until we reached Charles' room. Quietly, we opened the door and moved closer and closer to the bed. His chest rose and fell at a steady pace, and for a moment I almost felt guilty at the idea of ruining his serenity. With a loud WHOOP, Raven and I jumped on the bed, tackling him and ruining his precious sleep. He awoke with a start and was not amused.

"RAVEN AND RYLEIGH I SWEAR TO GOD. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL THIS CHAOS?!" He bellowed.

"Doesn't feel so good to be interrupted unexpectedly, does it?" I chirped sweetly.

He rolled his eyes at us, muttering bits and pieces about our "maturity level" and "doing his duty to protect our innocence."

I jumped on top of him and pleaded with him to make us pancakes. "You're already up, and we are sooooo hungry."

"Fine fine, but get out of my room… I'm going to change.." he reluctantly said. "And Ryleigh, I'm beginning to question whether or not asking you to live with us was such a good idea. You and Raven feed off of each others bad ideas" he said with a smile.

I stuck out my tongue at him, and Raven and I stalked out of the room and into the kitchen where we eagerly awaited our pancakes.

"_I'm only joking love."_

"_I know, you love me" _I thought back. "_The house wouldn't be the same without me."_

"_It would be much quieter."_

"_Shut up. And Charles, STAY OUT OF MY HEAD" _I smirked.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We enjoyed our pancake victory breakfast, before Charles gave us the news that he would be going to the CIA today to help Moira, an agent working on a case involving a mutant. Of course he enlisted Raven and my help. I didn't mind so much, I had fallen into a good routine since moving in with Charles and Raven, and I was eternally grateful that they took me in. Although I didn't want to start using my power at first, Charles ended up coaxing me into it little by little. I think he is started to regret that decision, because I have a terrible habit of moving furniture whenever he tries to sit down.

The CIA meeting was boring, as to be expected. I couldn't help but notice Moira's annoying obvious reactions to whenever Charles said something. I don't know why, but it made me want to strangle her. Shouting brought me out of my thoughts when I heard the agents accuse Charles of being a spy. AS IF. I rolled my eyes and continued to let the scene play out. It became spookily quiet, and I whipped my head up to see Raven had turned herself into one of the fellow agents. All hell broke loose again, and one of the agents told us that he would "monitor" us until the CIA found what to do with us. LOVELY.

We were ushered into a car, and taken to a facility not too far away. It was a giant place, and we were told to make ourselves comfortable, because we would be here a while. Raven took my arm and we walked around, taking in our surroundings. Moira and Charles seemed to be having an intimate conversation, and I found myself unable to focus on anything but them.

"OUCH." I snapped out of my trance, and looked down to see that Raven had pinched me… HARD. "What the hell was that for?" I demanded.

"I've been asking you for the past five minutes if you are ready to go. Apparently there is some guy named Shaw, and they want us to help find them" Raven said, exasperated.

I nodded and followed her over to Moira and Charles and the group of us got ready to leave.

Once we were on the boat, Charles gave us very specific instructions. 'I don't want either of you leaving this room. We don't know what is out there, and I don't want to risk either of you getting hurt. Is that clear?" Both Raven and I nodded our heads in agreement, and he and Moira left the room. As soon as he left, both of us burst out laughing. Us. Listen to him? He must be out of his damn mind.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Charles left the room, Raven and I put our plan into action. We wanted to help… so we snuck up the stairs to the deck of the ship and hid behind some boxes.

"You know he's going to kill us, right?" I mused to Raven.

"I don't care. I want to know what is going on" Raven retorted.

Suddenly we hear shouts and we looked up to see a giant boat being taken under by massive chains and anchors. I heard Charles yell that there was someone in the water, and my heart leapt as he jumped in. Without hesitation, I dove in after him, barely hearing Raven's screams. I pushed my hands forward and tried with all my might to move the chains from around the ship that was rapidly sinking. I focused all my energy on it before I heard a voice in my head.

"_Where the hell are you?!"_

"_Don't distract me, I'm trying to help."_

"_Get the hell out of the water right now Ryleigh!"_

I momentarily lost my focus on the ship, trying to move it above water when I felt two strong arms yank me away. I felt my energy slowly fading away and everything went black.

The sounds of shouting shook me awake moments later. I opened my eyes to find myself below the deck of the ship in a room, with a blanket wrapped around me.

"How could you let her do something so dangerous?! I TOLD YOU BOTH THAT YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THIS ROOM!" Charles shouted at angrily.

"We aren't children! We just wanted to help! I didn't know she was going to jump in!" Raven shot back.

I coughed lightly and two pairs of eyes immediately turned to me. "Ryleigh, oh my god, I was so worried" Raven ran over to me.

I hugged her back and glanced at Charles who was looking at me with nothing but disappointment filling his eyes. He ushered Raven out of the room, and closed the door. Uh oh. He sat down on the bed next to me, and put his head in his hands. I immediately felt guilty and stood up.

"What the hell were you thinking" he said softly.

I swallowed hard and turned away. "I just wanted to help. I saw you jump in, and I thought if I was able to bring the ship back up above the water that I could help you."

He stood up and cupped my face in his hands. "I didn't tell you to stay back because I didn't think you weren't capable of helping… I didn't want you or Raven to get hurt" he said gently.

I felt my heart speed up, and I immediately put up barriers in my mind. I would be absolutely mortified if he could read my thoughts right now. I wrapped my arms around his waist and apologized into his chest. "I'm sorry Charles. I didn't mean to upset you."

He brushed his lips to my forehead and I felt the butterflies go crazy in my stomach. "It's my responsibility to look out for you girls." At that moment, my heart sank. I silently chided myself for thinking that Charles could possibly feel anything for me other than brotherly love. I pulled back and turned around, fumbling through my backpack for some dry clothes.

At that moment, Moira burst into the room. _So much for knocking. _"Oh Charles" she gushed, "I was so worried when you jumped in the water. I'm so glad you're alright!" She ran over to him and embraced him tightly.

I could feel my blood boiling and I grabbed my dry clothes and stomped out of the room without hesitation. "Ryleigh, where are you going" said a confused Charles.

I completely ignored him as a pushed past them both and escaped to the bathroom. Tonight was going to be a long night.

By the time we got back to the CIA headquarters, it was almost morning. Raven and I walked toward the rooms that had been set up for us, with the new mutant, Erik, following closely behind.

"What's bothering you?" Raven questioned. "Did Charles yell at you? Cause if he said anything to upset you, I swear to God…"

I shook my head and kept walking. "I'm fine."

Raven gave me a curious look and then headed into her room. I opened my door and flopped down on the bed. I crawled under the covers and felt myself drift off to sleep.

"_Are you still awake?"_

"_NO."_ I thought back to Charles.

"_Have I done something to upset you?" _He questioned.

I rolled my eyes and blocked my mind to prevent him from any further questions. I didn't really have a right to be mad at him. It's not his fault he is attractive enough to have Moira following him around like a lost puppy. With that final thought, I fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning I woke up in a terrible mood. My dreams were plagued with images of Charles and Moira. I grabbed a hoodie and my ipod and decided to sneak out for a run. Unfortunately CIA headquarters is heavily protected, and with this new "mutant squad" project, everyone seems to be on high alert. I managed to move one of the fences and sneak away. I turned up my music and started to jog, trying to rid my mind of any thoughts of Charles. I turned down the road and noticed that someone else was jogging the opposite side of me.

"Hey, I'm Hank" he said, stopping to shake my hand.

I yanked my headphones out of my ears and introduced myself. Hank. He sounded so familiar. I thought back, and remember Raven telling me that she had met him before we left to find Shaw yesterday.

I smirked and said "heard you have the hots for my sister, Raven."

His jaw dropped and he immediately began to stutter. I laughed and told him I was joking, and followed him back to the headquarters. We walked in the dining hall and saw Charles, Moira, Raven and Erik already sitting down for breakfast. I sat down next to Raven and grabbed a piece of toast off of her plate.

"Morning sis" I said.

"Ryleigh, good morning. I see you've finally met Hank. After breakfast, Erik and I will be working with Hank to try to find other mutants" Charles said.

"Mmmkay" I replied, before hopping up and dragging Raven along with me. "Have fun with your nerd stuff."

Charles gave me a quizzical look as I walked out of the room. As soon as we were out of earshot, Raven stepped in front of me.

"What is going on between you and my brother?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Nothing. He's just getting on my nerves lately because his head is so far up Moira's ass."

Raven gave me a cheeky grin. "Jealous much?"

"As if."

We spent the rest of the day painting our nails, and trying to stay out of everyone's way. We didn't see Charles and Erik until later that evening, when they dropped the bomb on us.

"You're going WHERE? To find WHO?" Raven questioned.

Charles sighed and explained for the fifth time that he and Erik wished to go seek out the mutants that they discovered using "cerebro."

"We will only be gone for a few days. And you will have Moira to keep you company" Charles said, smiling at her.

"Oh, you two can be away from each other for longer than five minutes? What a surprise" I said sarcastically.

"Ryleigh!" Charles reprimanded sharply 'What has gotten into you?"

"Fuck off."

Charles' jaw dropped, and I heard Erik chuckle but he immediately recovered. I excused myself for the night and spent the rest of the evening brooding silently in my room.

"_We need to talk."_

"_I'm busy" I responded._

"_Ryleigh please. If this is about the night on the ship, I shouldn't have been so hard on you. I didn't mean to cause a problem between us" he pleaded._

"_I'm fine. It's fine. See you when you get back. Have fun."_

"_This conversation isn't over. We will talk more when I get back" He promised._

By the time Charles and Erik returned, they brought four more mutants back with them. They were barely home a day, before they left again to go on a mission with Moira, leaving Raven and I alone with the new recruits.

We all got together in a game room, and began to introduce ourselves. Raven was excited for new friends, and she decided to make code names for everyone, but only if they showed their "power." Angel showed us her incredible wings and everyone applauded when she showed us her "spitball." Darwin's power was the coolest in my opinion. His ability to adapt was so amazing and left us all speechless. Alex completely destroyed the statue in the garden, which we all found hilarious and even Hank started to have fun. By the end of the night, Sean had shattered the window, and we were all starting to get a pretty good buzz from the drinks we consumed. Raven and I cranked up the music, and we all got pretty loud. Angel and I got on top of the pool table and started to dance when we heard a gasp.

"What the hell is this!?" shouted Moira.

"You're back!" Raven exclaimed, stumbling around "We decided that you're going to be Magneto, and you're going to be Professor X" she said smiling, pointing to Erik and Charles.

"Raven. Ryleigh. I'm so disappointed with you" Charles said, clearly pissed off.

"And what happened to the statue? You're gonna move these pieces right now" Moira demanded, glaring at us.

I'd like to blame the alcohol, but I believe that I still would have done this sober. I put my hands forward and lifted the pieces of the statue up above everyone's head, and hurled them across the lawn, where they slammed into another window, shattering it completely.

"Moved it."

I could feel everyone's eyes on me, as I stalked off. I know I was being a brat… but that woman was so infuriating. I ran up to my room, and grabbed my suitcase, jamming clothes in left and right. I was so done. I moved to a different country to explore and to have adventure. But this is not what I signed up for. Don't get me wrong, I loved living with Raven and Charles, but I refuse to feel trapped here like a guinea pig.

I ignored the constant knocks on my door and continued to pack. Once everyone was asleep, I was going to leave. I didn't want to make a scene so I figured leaving quietly was the way to go. Once I felt that it was safe, I grabbed my suitcase and slipped out of the room. I stopped by Raven's doorway and smiled when I heard her and Hank talking. Praying silently that she wouldn't hate me, I dropped my letter outside her door. In the letter, I thanked her and Charles for their hospitality, but explained that it was time for me to continue my traveling, and that I've overstayed my welcome but I'd always remember them. I walked past Charles' door, thinking about everything that had transpired the past year. I smiled fondly at the memories and felt tears pricking at my eyes. I kept walking towards the exit, determined not to let myself feel sad about leaving.

With one final breath, I opened the exit door and walked out… Never looking back.


	4. Chapter 4

The seemingly quiet morning was shattered by a piercing scream, followed by frantic pounding on Charles' door. Before he even was able to open the door, Raven burst in… wailing.

"She's gone, Charles! I can't find her anywhere, and then I found this note by my door."

Startled, Charles quickly scanned the note that she thrust in his hands before he sank back in an armchair.

"This is ALL _your _fault" Raven angrily accused.

Baffled, Charles' head snapped up. "_MY _fault? I didn't ask her to leave!"

"You know, for being a professor, you really are an idiot sometimes" she yelled, as she stormed out the door.

"Where are you going?" he called.

"I'm going to look for my sister" she shrieked shrilly, turning her heel on a very confused Charles.

Meanwhile, I was halfway back to the Xavier mansion, with every intent on packing the rest of my belongings. When I finally reached the estate, my heart sank. Was I really going to walk away from the place that finally felt like home? Determined, I unlocked the doors, and walked inside. The house was exactly the way we left it before we left for the CIA. Exhausted from all the traveling, I immediately found my bedroom and fell asleep.

A few days passed, and I still remained at the mansion. Packing was a lot harder than I thought and it felt nice to finally catch up on sleep undisturbed. The next morning was uneventful, and I cleaned up my remaining dishes in the kitchen and moved the rest of my bags to the front door. My train was departing at 4pm so that gave me a few hours to clean the little mess I had made. I scrubbed the dishes and went to grab a towel to dry them when I heard the front door creak open. The bustling sounds of people filled the house, and I could distinctly hear Hank and Alex going at it again. I immediately cursed and whipped my apron off, silently heading toward the den before anyone noticed me. The sounds of Raven's piercing scream caused me to stop instantly in my tracks.

"RYLEIGH'S HERE! Look her bags are right by the door!"

Before I could even blink, I could hear her shouting for me, running all over the house. I rolled my eyes and the second she passed the column I was hiding behind, I yanked her over and covered her mouth.

"Shhh…" I pleaded.

Her eyes widened in surprised, and we moved quickly behind the columns until we reached the broom cupboard. Wordlessly, we both entered and moved all the way to the back, and opened up the door to our secret hideout. Once we were positive no one could hear us, she finally spoke, pulling me into a bone crushing hug.

"I was so worried about you! Why the hell didn't you tell me you wanted to leave?" She demanded.

I groaned and launched into my story about how I just wanted to get away. She waited patiently until I had finished before she spoke again.

"But you don't REALLY want to leave, do you?"

I sighed. "I don't know what I want. I really needed some time away. Everything is just so overwhelming, and Charles and I keep fighting all the time. It's exhausting."

She smiled knowingly, before she sadly spoke.

"Ryleigh, there is something you should know. It's not safe at the headquarters anymore… so Charles moved us here to train. Shaw… he came to us a few nights ago. Angel went with him. And… Darwin… he tried to save her, he tried to save us all, but Shaw, he.. killed him" she said, choking back sobs.

I felt my heart drop and my throat constrict. Darwin… dead? Anger flooded my body and tears blinded my vision.

"He won't die in vain, Raven. When we find Shaw, we will make him pay for Darwin's dead. I promise you that."

Through her tears, she softly murmured "Does this mean you aren't leaving?"

"Not a chance. This just got personal" I said, with my eyes narrowed.

We continued to walk down our secret hideaway and we approached Charles' study. The hideout lead to behind his book case, where we used to play pranks on him. I pulled "A Tale of Two Cities" out, and cautiously looked into the study, hidden from view. Charles was pacing the study while Moira followed him closely.

"I need to find Ryleigh. I feel terrible for what transpired before she left. Raven is right. It's my fault that she left."

Beside me, I heard Raven give a quiet triumphant "Ha" and we both leaned in to hear more.

Moira slithered her arms around his shoulders and cooed in his ear. "It's not your fault she's still a child. Clearly she didn't want to be here and we don't need her causing any more scenes. It's distracting and I think it's more the best that she left. Don't encourage her to stay, Charles."

"BITCH!" Raven said, a little too loudly. I slapped my hand across her mouth and listened eagerly for Charles to respond.

"I still feel like I should talk to her. I'm going to see if Raven found her." He got up and Raven and I took that as our sign to keep walking. Once we reached her room, I pleaded with her.

"Don't tell him I'm here. I know we have to talk eventually, but I'm just not ready to do it now."

Raven rolled her eyes and agreed. "Fine. But make sure it happens soon. I can't wait to see the look on Moira's face when she finds out that you're here to stay!"

"See you later" I winked, before leaving her and returning to my room. I got out of my clothes and put on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I brushed out my hair and stared at my reflection, unable to clear my head. I flicked off the lights and pulled the covers over my head, determined to sleep.

Three hours later, I still lay awake in bed. I groaned out of frustration, knowing I couldn't possibly avoid the situation any longer. I tiptoed out of my room and up the stairs. I took a deep breath when I got to Charles' door and knocked.

"Erik now is not a really good...time" he finished, as he opened the door and stopped when he saw me.

"Guess it's a good thing I'm not Erik?" I joked lamely.

He moved aside and I entered his room, looking around. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that I looked up into his eyes. He looked terrible. His eyes were bloodshot and it looked as if he hadn't slept in ages. I felt bad for not realizing sooner that everything that was going on with Shaw, and my disappearance might be taking a toll on him.

I raised my hand to his cheek and brushed my fingertips against his beard that was beginning to form. His eyes closed and he sighed softly. "Why did you go?" He murmured as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I needed time to think. I'm sorry I shouldn't have left like that. I just felt… trapped."

His eyes snapped open at this and he stepped back from me. "Did you feel as if I had trapped you?" he said, and I saw the guilt forming in his eyes.

"No" I quickly replied. "I just needed some time."

His shoulders sagged and he sat on his bed, motioning for me to sit next to him. "I should have let you have more freedom. I forget that before Raven and I, you were traveling the world on your own. I'm sorry I lost sight of that…"

I wrapped my arms around my body and looked up at him.

"I'm not going anywhere now. I'm going to avenge Darwin."

He looked at me sorrowfully and explained that this was going to be dangerous, and that he was going to do his best to make sure we were prepared.

"Charles… you look awful. You need to make sure you get rest too."

He smiled at me and kissed my hand. "Always so perceptive Ms. Williams."

For a second, I felt my guard slipping and the barrier between my mind was gone.

"_Kiss me." _

His head snapped up, and I felt my face immediately flame up. Back went the barrier and I inwardly cursed myself.

"Ryleigh…" he started before a knock interrupted us.

Grateful for the distraction, I opened the door, only to find Moira who once she saw me, matched my glare.

"Ryleigh" she said through gritted teeth "How lovely to see you again. And here so late at night, out of your room"

"Likewise" I muttered.

Why was she always showing up at the worst times? I turned to Charles and said "Try to remember what I said. You need to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Get some sleep."

"That's what I'm here for" Moira said, smiling as she walked further into the room.

My jaw dropped, and I turned away, blinking back tears before they could see me.

"Ryleigh…" Charles started again… but at this point, I was already out the door and running down the hall.

As soon as I was in the safety of my own room, I let my guard down and sobbed freely, not caring who heard me. I grabbed the bottle of whiskey and drank until everything stopped hurting. It wasn't until I was completely passed out on the bed that the voice spoke.

"_I'm sorry."_


	5. Chapter 5

Morning came too soon and before I knew it, Raven was pounding on my door, followed by Erik.

"Really, Ryleigh? ¾ of this bottle is gone. You're late for training and you've definitely got some explaining to do" Erik said as he marched into my room.

I moaned into my covers and sunk further into my sheets. "Go away."

I felt all the covers being yanked from my bed and I cracked my eye open slightly to see Raven standing over me, hands on her hips.

"You look like a disaster. What is going on" she accused.

"Oh, please tell me how I'm supposed to look normal after being kicked out of Charles' room because he and Moira spent the night together" I muttered angrily under my breath.

Erik's eyes widened in shock and I covered my mouth quickly, realizing what I'd said. Damn. Guess the effects of the alcohol hadn't worn off yet. His expression softened, and he sat down on my bed. "You're an amazing girl with amazing talents. If Charles is too blinded to see that, then he is a fool who doesn't deserve you."

"Yeah well, tell Charles that…" I sighed as I stood up.

"_Tell me what?" a voice said inside my head._

"_I'm surprised you're awake after your exciting night last night" I thought back, bitterly._

"_What is wrong with you Ryleigh? I'm sorry Moira interrupted our conversation, but there is a lot going on with Shaw right now, and I can't always be next to you every second of the day. It's not fair to be upset with Moira, she has done nothing wrong."_

"_If you seriously think that's why I'm upset, then you're a fucking moron. Stay OUT of my head"_ I shot back before i closed our connection.

Without even realizing, I picked up the journal Charles' had given me for my birthday last year, and it combusted instantly into flames. I grabbed my pillow and screamed in it, while Erik gave me a bewildered look.

"I'm guessing she and Charles just spoke" Raven whispered to Erik while I shoved them out of my room.

"Don't forget, training in an hour" Erik hollered before I slammed the door shut.

I quickly took a shower and threw on some shorts and a tank top, before grabbing the remaining bottle of whiskey from my dresser and heading down stairs. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw the rest of the recruits, Moira and Charles standing there, going over the activities for the day. I rolled my eyes and took a giant swig of the bottle before brushing past them, ignoring Alex's joking remarks about being an alcoholic.

"Ryleigh, get back here this instant" Charles bellowed.

I continued to walk down the hall, only slowing down slightly to flip him off.

"Damn Professor X, you must have really pissed her off" Sean said, laughing.

I walked into the kitchen to find Hank and Raven with their faces only inches away from each other. I took another sip of my bottle and grinned, "Am I interrupting something?"

Both of them instantly flew apart and went to the opposite sides of the kitchen before Hank walked out, embarrassed.

"You're such an asshole when you drink" Raven whined, as I continued to taunt her about Hank.

"You know I'm kidddingggggg. I'm glad my ittle bittieee seeesssterr has found a new booothangggg."

Raven rolled her eyes and motioned for me to head outside. "You better thank me, because Charles was supposed to do your training today. I recommended that Erik take over instead."

I grinned knowingly at her and she returned the smile and then her face got serious. "Ry, are you sure you're okay? You're my best friend, and as much as you deny it, I see how you look at Charles."

I stiffened up and then spoke "I'm done with it, Raven. It's pointless to think that he would reciprocate my feelings. Honestly, as long as he's with that wretched woman, Moira, I want nothing to do with him. I'll try to be professional, but the fact that he doesn't even know why I'm upset just shows that he sees me as another sister."

"Well, we can do what we do best! Piss him off!" Raven said and swung her arm around my shoulder. "And just because my brother is being a prick, doesn't mean I love you any less. Hell, if you can't beat em, join em" she finished as she chugged the rest of the whiskey in the bottle.

"What do you say we blow off training today?" I said mischievously.

Laughing, we walked down to the tunnel where Charles, Hank and Alex had begun training.

"Are you sure about this?" Alex asked nervously.

"I have utter faith in you" Charles responded.

I sauntered up to them and circled around Alex, wrapping my arms around his torso as I whispered in his ear, loudly enough for Hank and Charles to hear.

"Faith has nothing to do with it. All you need is a little motivation" and then I boldly pressed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss.

I stepped back and out of the corner of my eye I saw Charles furiously talking to Raven who put her hands up in defense, giggling. I watched as Alex successful hit the target and whipped around to stare at me, incredulously.

"Told ya" I winked, as I joined arms with Raven and walked away.

Before I knew what was happening, Charles grabbed my arm and yanked me away from the rest of the group.

"A word please" he seethed at me.

I could feel the alcohol giving me confidence, and I glared back at him.

"I don't know what has gotten into you lately, but it has got to stop. You're acting like a child and this is not how I raised…"

SLAP.

Before he had a chance to finish his sentence, my hand flew across his face in a deafening crack. He gingerly reached up to touch his reddening face, and I could see my handprint imprinted on his skin.

"YOU… Did not raise me" I said, my voice getting louder with every syllable. "YOU forget that you've only known me a year. You know NOTHING about me. Before you, I lived by myself, and took care of myself. You are not my superior, Charles, WE ARE EQUALS. I'm not some child you have to teach. The only reason, and I state, the ONLY reason I'm still here is because of Darwin. And as soon as we find Shaw, the better. Because once we do, I will have NO ties to here and NOTHING to keep me in this god forsaken mansion with YOU!"

I felt the tears spilling down my cheeks and Charles reached up to wipe them away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! Stay the hell away from me. I want nothing to do with you. I'm here for THEM" I said, pointing at the group that had rapidly formed around us as I angrily swatted away my tears. "whatever friendship we had, it's over now. It's all over now…" Exhausted, I fell down to my knees and covered my face, sobbing. I felt two strong arms encircle me, and I briefly remember Erik picking me up before everything faded away.

PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER SIX:

I woke up with a start, and jumped out of bed. I groaned instantly and clutched my head, trying to make the pounding sensation go away. I thought back to what I remembered and sank back down on my bed, tears forming again. Subconsciously, I had hoped that my blow out with Charles had been a terrible nightmare and not a reality. Looking back, I felt slightly embarrassed that everyone had seen it, but at the same time, I was glad I wasn't alone. I looked out the window and saw that it was dark out. Damn, I must have passed out for a long time.

I sighed and slipped on my robe, silently reminding myself to thank Erik. I quietly made my way to the kitchen but stopped abruptly when I heard voices.

"I've never seen her this upset, Erik. She's likes to party, but she's never been a morning drinker. I think Moira has sent her over the edge. I've never liked her, but now I seriously think she's trying to upset Ryleigh, and it's working. Charles isn't doing anything about it! It's like he doesn't even see that Moira is putting a rift between them" Raven stated.

I moved forward and they both went silent. I filled the tea kettle and set it to boil before I finally turned to face them.

"I'm sorry about earlier…" I offered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for" Erik said firmly, and Raven nodded her head. "Nice handwork by the way. Remind me never to get on your bad side."

A ghost of a smile formed on my lips as I placed my hands around the steaming mug of tea.

...

A/N: I would really love some more reviews from ya'll! I'd love to know what you think about the story this far, and what your feelings are! For those who have already reviewed, THANK YOU SO MUCH. Ryleigh and I appreciate it :)


	6. Chapter 6

The next three days went by painstakingly slow. We trained hard, and we trained long. Some days we didn't finish until halfway through the next day, and to make matters worse, Charles and I still weren't speaking. Everyone around us was clearly disturbed by this, all except Moira, who sauntered around, taking every opportunity to be next to Charles. I was grateful for Raven and Erik, who had been my rock the past few days. I mainly kept to myself minus the occasional visit from them.

Erik had taken over my training, so I didn't have to see Charles unless we were at meals, which I stopped attending. If I did eat, I made sure I did it late at night, when no one was in the kitchen to bother me. I didn't feel like answering the questions that everyone was trying to ask.

I think what bothered me the most about Charles' attitude was that it reminded me so much of my parents and memories I was trying desperately to forget. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for the times when they weren't fighting with each other, but it seemed like the only time they were united was when they were telling me what I was doing wrong. School never came easy for me, but I pushed through. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. FInally I stopped trying, and ended up out of the country, without communication from my parents in two years. How dare Charles speak about "raising me." For God's sake, we are only three years apart. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I was so distracted from my thoughts that I didn't hear Alex enter the kitchen.

I jumped about a mile and quickly turned to exit.

"Hey Ryleigh, you don't have to leave. I was just grabbing a soda. I'll go…"

I sighed and looked back at him. "No its alright. I was just leaving anyways" I said as I cleared my dishes and placed them in the sink.

"He misses you."

My cheeks burned and I snapped my head up to look at Alex. "I'm not his pet to control."

Alex chuckled "You definitely know how to rile him up. He can't seem to focus on anything lately. Don't get me wrong, seeing you kick his ass last week was entertaining, but just be careful. We're going to need everyone focused and working together in order to get Shaw. Don't do it for him, do it for Darwin."

"You're right" I murmured. "I'll pull it together. But don't expect things to go back to the way they were before."

"Of course not" Alex said, giving me a one sided hug. "And between you and me, you're not the only one who thinks Moira is a bitch" he whispered in my ear before he walked away.

A smile formed on my face as I walked back to my room. I laughed to myself as I thought of Alex laserlining Moira into a burnt crisp. I spent the rest of the night in my room, working on my outfit for tomorrow. Ryleigh Williams was not someone Moira wanted to piss off.

I was exhausted by the time morning came, but as I looked at myself in the mirror, my hard work paid off. I neatly brushed my blonde hair over my shoulders, and twirled around, admiring my handiwork. The leather jumpsuit I created left little to the imagination, and clung tightly to the right areas. Better yet, it allowed me to move around quickly and included a holster for my gun and taser.I pulled up my boots and walked down stairs into the dining room for breakfast.

"Morning" I chirped, as I sat in between Erik and Raven.

Moira almost choked on her oatmeal when her eyes scanned my attire. I smirked to myself, and Raven and I bumped fists under the table.

"Damn, Ryleigh, can you make one of those for me?!" She asked eagerly.

"I'd climb that like a tree" Alex winked at me, earning a cuff on the head from Charles.

I laughed and ate my breakfast, outside I looked calm and collected, but internally I was a bundle of nerves. I felt Charles' eyes on me the whole meal, and I eagerly jumped at the opportunity to leave his scrutiny.

"So what's the plan for today?" I asked Erik, who was looked between Charles and I with an amused expression etched on his face.

"Huh? Oh, we've received word that we will be moving out to look for Shaw tomorrow, so we want you all to take the time today to relax. Who knows how much relaxing we will be having after tomorrow's events."

I scrunched my nose and thought hard about everything that was at stake. As much as I wanted to beat Charles over the head with a stick, repeatedly, I also couldn't handle if our last words were a fight.

"_Meet me in the garden tonight at 7pm. The one by our pond" _I thought to him.

His eyes bore into mine and he scanned my face, doubtful. I stared right back at him, and cut off our connection, not giving him a chance to tell me no, or that it wasn't a good idea.

The rest of the day went by quickly, and when 7:15pm rolled around, and I was still in the garden, all alone, I mentally cursed myself. "_Of course he's not coming Ryleigh, you're such a fucking idiot. You beat the hell out of him, in front of his peers, and then ask him to meet you in the dark, away from everyone in a spot where not even Raven knows to find us!"_

"_I have to admit, the thought of you slapping me again did cross my mind" _he admitted, and I whirled around.

I walked over to him, and we sat down underneath the tree.

"Sorry I'm late…" he started.

"Moira" we finished at the same time, as he gave me an apologetic look.

"Yes, Moira and I were just discussing plans for tomorrow. And please, before you say anything, hear me out. I've been such a fool, and I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. We made a pact that we would never let a significant other come between us, and I'm afraid that's exactly what I've done. You're not only Raven's best friend, but you're mine too. And I'm sorry if I made you feel like you weren't important. You have every right to be mad at me, and never forgive me, and honestly, I wouldn't blame you. Just know that you are important to me, and our friendship is important to me, and I value that, so much Ryleigh, and I shouldn't have let my relationship with Moira come between us" he said, hanging his head.

My hands firmly grasped his chin and raised it to look at me. I pushed our foreheads together and swallowed thickly, uttering the words I knew would forever put me in this place, the one I never wanted to be in "I'll always be here for you, no matter who you're in a relationship with. That's what best friends do."

He instantly let out a sob, and clutched me tightly, murmuring "I'm so sorry" over and over.

I felt my heart break in that moment, knowing I'd chosen my place. I'd rather be the dutifull friend, than to not be in his life at all. I would never be his, and somehow I sealed my fate. I let a few tears escape my eyes, but quickly wiped them away before Charles could see. Love is selfless. And if you really love someone, sometimes you have to let them go.

We laid down on the grass, looking at the stars, like we had done so many months ago, before everything had changed. I took it as an opportunity to think about everything previously, and with every exhale, I let go of what I hoped we'd be.

"What are you thinking about? I can feel your thoughts racing a mile a minute, but everything is so fuzzy" he said, rolling over to look at me.

I smiled at successfully blocking him out, and assured him that it was nothing.

"Rest your eyes, I know you're tired" I said to him as I ran my fingers through his hair.

"I want to stay awake and talk to you" he murmured, stifling a yawn before closing his eyes.

I smiled and continued to run my fingers through his hair, until I felt his breathing steady and watched the rise and fall of his chest. I knew I shouldn't but I knew that when we woke up tomorrow, everything between us would change. He'd be with Moira, and I'd be fine eventually.

I cautiously laid my head on his shoulder, and felt his arms instantly wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I held my breath and listened to his steady breathing, and rested my head firmly on his chest. "Charles…" I whispered. The only response I received was his even breathing, and I knew he would have no knowledge of this in the morning. I brought my lips close to his ear and whispered the words I wanted to scream since the moment he entered my life. "I love you…"

I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, safe in his arms. Just for this night, just for this one moment, I allowed myself to pretend that he was mine.


	7. Chapter 7

The sounds of birds chirping woke Charles up the next morning. Groaning at the aching pain in his back, he opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly at the bright sunshine. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and he started to sit up until he noticed Ryleigh's mess of curls sprawled across his chest, with her arm draped over his side. He instantly softened and laid back down, remembering their conversation last night, but what he didn't remember was falling asleep outside. Ryleigh sighed softly in her sleep, and snuggled closer into his chest, shivering slightly at the brisk morning air. Charles instantly began to rub her arms to warm her up and thought about last night.

At first he was angry with her attitude, then bewildered, but it took a heart to heart with Erik to realize it was entirely his fault for her erratic behavior. He had driven his best friend away, and felt ashamed. He hadn't even realized he was doing it, it just had been so busy with Moira always at his side, recruiting new mutants and all the talk of what to do about Shaw. He looked down at the girl, sleeping peacefully on his chest and felt a flicker of guilt when he realized this was the first time in months that they had spent time together. His mind began to wander, and he suddenly felt it tugging towards Ryleigh with an increasing urgency. It took him a moment to realize that she was dreaming of him. His first thought was that she was concocting some scheme to torture him, like she and Raven always did, so he didn't see the harm in knowing what her next plan of attack was so he could be prepared. Charles knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help the way her thoughts were screaming out to him and before it dawned on him, he was inside her mind, watching her dream.

"_I'm so glad we could do this, it's been so long. I thought you'd forgotten about me" her sweet voice rang out, as she reached over to him in her dream, resting her head on his shoulder. _

"_You know I could never forget about you, love" dream Charles responded, before lifting her chin, raising it to meet his eyes, before he closed the space between them, moving his lips across hers._

_They pulled back breathlessly, before Ryleigh learned forward, running her hands through his thick hair, pulling him towards her and kissing him passionately._

"_I love you" she murmured. "I've loved you for so long. I knew I loved you when you insisted I stay with in your room after my first nightmare at the Mansion. I love every piece of you. Every time you brush the hair out of your eyes, when you scrunch your nose when you're thinking too hard about something, and I love every freckle on your face. I would do anything to make you happy. I'd die without you, because you are the reason I live. If I could have one last request in the world, I'd wish that your face was the last thing I'd see. You mean so much to me, and I'll never be able to put it in words."_

_Dream Charles chuckled, and captured her lips again, with his arms firmly wrapped around her delicate waist. She closed her eyes and smiled against his lips. _

"_You're all I need" he whispered in her ear. _

_When she opened her eyes, a tear ran down her cheek and she smiled weakly._

"_I wish you meant that…" She said softly, and brushed his lips against his one more time._

"_I do mean it!" Dream Charles insisted._

_Two more tears cascaded down and splattered on the ground. She rested her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes… before backing away slightly._

"_No baby, you don't. I'll wake up soon, like I always do, and you'll be gone, with her. You'll never know, because you don't care the way I dream you do."_

"_Stay with me" Dream Charles pleaded desperately._

"_I love you more than I did before, and if today I don't see your face, nothing's changed, no one can take your place, it gets harder every day…" she whispered softly._

Charles couldn't take it any longer, and pulled out of her mind immediately. He looked down at Ryleigh, still fast asleep, with tears streaming down her face. He looked at her sleeping figure incredulously and used his thumb to wipe away her tears. He was stunned. Never in his wildest thoughts had he ever thought she felt this way. He thought he could always read her, but apparently not he was completely and utterly wrong. He'd always seen her as his best friend, the third musketeer in Raven and his life. Now, looking at the girl before him, with his arms wrapped tightly around her, after seeing her vivid dream, Charles was baffled at what to think or how to feel. Without waking her, he carefully entangled Ryleigh from himself, and instantly regretted it, missing her warmth. Shaking his head, he stood up, and backed away, turning towards the mansion. He willed himself not to, but eventually gave in, and glanced back at her, before rubbing his temples and continuing to the mansion. Once he was inside, he made himself a strong cup of tea and sat down, thoughts of Ryleigh's dream racing in his mind.

A/N: Please pleeeeaaassseee read and review. I thought it would be unique to have a chapter from Charles' POV, but I promise next chapter will go back to Ryleigh's. Let me know what you thought! Sorry it's so short but I'm dying to know your opinion! I love you all!


	8. Chapter 8

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't surprised to find myself alone. I assumed I had fallen asleep and Charles had woken up in the middle of the night and gone to find Moira. I sighed and brushed off the pieces of grass that were clinging to my shirt.

As I stumbled inside, I felt myself bump into something, or someone.

"Hello sleeping beauty" Erik grinned. "I hope you're ready for our big day!"

I trudged up the stairs and called behind me "Just give me a minute to shower and I'll be ready."

Without knocking, I entered Raven's room, to find her already dressed and surprisingly, completely in her blue form. I chose not to comment on it, and I left the door open while I showered and heard her call in, "where were you last night?"

I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, savoring the apple smell as the bubbles ran down the drain and replied "I went for a walk and ended up falling asleep outside. You know me…"

"Oh?" She inquired. "Funny how I went to see Charles last night, only to find he was missing as well."

I pushed my hands forward and sent a pillow off her bed, flying at her face. I grinned successfully when I heard the "OOMPH" at the source hit its target.

"HEY!" she hollered. "I know that was you!"

I laughed and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around myself, letting my hair fall down my shoulders.

"Everything okay?" I said, more seriously.

Her eyes narrowed slightly and she gave a defensive cry "yes, why wouldn't everything be? I'm fine, totally fine. Everything is just fine."

I rolled my eyes and gave her a hug. "Just for the record, I've always thought you looked better in blue."

Raven's eyes lit up as she returned my hug with a bone crushing force. I laughed and opened her bedroom door, and we started to walk back to my room to get my clothes. Charles' door squeaked open, and I greeted him "Morning Charles."

His face turned bright red, and he sprinted past us quickly.

I looked at Raven quizzically, and she returned my stare. "What the hell is with him?" I said, laughing.

"Men!" Raven exclaimed as she rolled her eyes dramatically.

We all ate breakfast in a comfortable silence. I couldn't help but notice Charles giving me strange looks and Moira glowering at me. I quickly excused myself, telling the group I'd join them when we were ready to leave. I spent the rest of the morning in my room, memorizing the details of it all. It seemed like just yesterday that I decided to take the plunge and move across the country. And now, look at where I am. I knew the mission was dangerous and although I'd never admit it, it scared the hell out of me. I stood up and brushed my fingertips across the silky sheets and turned to go.

"We'll be back." A voice startled me out of my thoughts and I turned around to see Charles.

I gave him a small smile. "I'm not worried…"

"Of course you're not" he murmured as he pulled me into a tight hug.

I felt my heart beating out of my chest and I silently tried to calm myself down. I pulled out of his hug and we headed down the staircase, only to be interrupted by Moira.

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" She chided and she wrapped her arms around Charles.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I think we are all ready to go now" Charles said.

"This isn't going to be an easy battle Charles, but at least I have you" Moira cooed softly as she smashed her lips against his.

I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I saw the way his eyes closed and the way he cupped her face, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss.

Moira cracked one eye open and looked at me, before I turned and walked away, desperate to be anywhere but here.

I met up with Alex, Sean, Erik and Raven outside of Hank's lab. We pushed through the doors to find a gigantic mess, with chemicals and random jars spilled all over.

Raven gasped beside me, and Erik ran immediately to get Charles. I felt her lean against me weakly and I moved further into the room, and went to the truck marked X. Raven and I grabbed both sides of it and moved it towards the aircraft bay. Minutes ticked by before Charles and Moira ran into the bay with Erik.

"Where is Hank?" Charles questioned.

"Here" Hank grumbled before he entered in the light.

My eyes grew big as I saw Hank, or what looked like Hank step closer to us. Instead of his normal geeky look with glasses, he was giant and blue.

"Whoa, dude, you look AWESOME!" I exclaimed.

We buckled up in the plane and I sat between Raven and Charles.

"Are you alright?" Charles asked me softly.

I gave him a nervous smile and opened my mouth to respond, but before any words could leave my mouth, Moira shimmied over and plopped down on Charles' lap.

"I've always hated flying" she cooed.

I rolled my eyes and tried to focus on not throwing off the plane without a parachute.

A giggle escaped my lips before I could stop it, and she gave me a dirty look before returning her attention to Charles.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raven morph into Hank. "I've put it on autopilot, but I need you to come back with me to the cockpit to give me directions to where we are headed" she said in Hank's deep voice.

Moira sauntered off, obviously pleased that someone appreciated her input, and as soon as she disappeared, Raven turned back into her blue form, and she and I burst out laughing.

"Raven and Ryleigh, that's not funny" Charles admonished, giving us a stern look.

This only made us howl louder with laughter, and in between giggles, Raven said "I can't help the fact that your girlfriend is an idiot. I mean after all, we ARE mutants."

Charles scowled and went silent and Raven sat back in her seat, I scooted over to the other side to allow her to buckle herself back in, and when I did, my fingertips brushed against Charles' hand accidentally. I immediately drew back as if I'd been shocked, and judging by the look on his face, it was clear he felt it too. I felt my face flame up, and I tried desperately to look anywhere but his eyes, which were filled with curiousity and surprise. Thankfully everyone else had started conversations, so I pretending to be listening to the endless chatter around me.

"I don't want you going after Shaw…" Charles admitted softly.

My jaw dropped open and I stared at him incredeously. "Are you kidding me? That's the whole reason I'm here- to avenge Darwin. I can't exactly do that if I don't see Shaw."

"Ryleigh please, you're my best friend and I couldn't bare the thought of any harm coming to you. I was hoping that you'd be able to stay on the plane if it comes down to us having to land."

My voice was dangerously low when I responded. "It isn't your job to look after me. Darwin is dead and I know I won't be the only one going after Shaw. I can't do that if you keep treating me like a china doll" I seethed.

For the sake of us not arguing on the plane and causing a scene, he chose to drop it. At that moment, Raven suggested using Sean to navigate Shaw. He eagerly agreed and Hank opened the hatch and Sean jumped out.

The next few minutes flew by and by the time I caught my breath, I could feel like metal on the plane shaking. Raven started to scream and I quickly unbuckled my belt and saw Charles and Erik leaning out of the plane, with Erik desperately trying to move Shaw's giant submarine above water. The plane started to tilt ferociously, and I felt myself tumbling towards the opening. Before I had a chance to react, Charles' body was pushed against mine on the wall of the plane to keep me from falling. I squeezed my eyes shut, and next thing I heard was Hank screaming "We're going down!" before the plane violently plummeted towards the island in front of us.


	9. AN IMPORTANT NOTE!

Hey guys! I appreciate your reviews so much! If you all are avid James McAvoy fans like I am, would you all do me a huge favor and check out my second story "What If I Had Never Let You Go..." ? It's based on the book/movie Atonement. For some reason I could not get this plot idea out of my head. For some reason, I had to come to terms with the tragic ending, and I couldn't bring myself to do it any other way other than to write. PLEASEEE check it out and let me know if I should continue it or not. I love you all. And I'll link the story below! xoxoxoxoxoxo.

s/10539946/1/What-if-I-Had-Never-Let-You-Go


	10. Chapter 9

We hit the ground with tremendous force. I felt my head slam against the cold, hard metal of the plane as it finally skidded to a hault. Raven instantly unbuckled her seatbelt and ran over to Charles and I.

"Are you guys okay?"

I groaned and rolled off of Charles as tried to stand up. "I've had better days…" I muttered, rubbing my throbbing head.

"Sorry to break up the reunion you three, but Shaw is right over there. We have to get to him now" Erik reminded us.

Raven and I shared a look as we went over to stand by Erik.

"Look… Charles" I started to say before he had the chance to open his mouth. "Rae and I talked about this. She's going to man the fort with you on the ground, and I'm going with Erik inside the submarine and you can communicate with us telepathically."

He opened his mouth to protest, but Erik and I already started to walk away while Raven turned to Charles and began to give him instructions. We were 10 feet from the sub before two of Shaw's mutant friends tried to ward us off, followed by Angel. Sean and Alex distracted them while Erik managed to get inside the sub, but Angel continued to get closer to me, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"It's no use Ryleigh, just give it up. The humans are our enemies and we are the better race. The sooner you realize that, the less damage I'll have to do to you" she taunted.

I whirled around and took a swing at her. "How DARE you! He tried to save you…! Darwin gave up his life because he believed that we were all equals and this, THIS is how you repay him? By forcing us to make a choice and playing God? How dare you think that you are superior just because you are different. You sicken me, Angel. You are not the girl I thought you were."

She looked momentarily stunned, and blinked twice before beginning to fly off. "Just this once, Williams. If I see you again, don't expect me to do this again." And with that, she took off and disappeared from view.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder and I shrieked, ready to attack.

"Whoa, hold on… it's just me" Charles said softly.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "I need to get in there to help Erik!"

He blue eyes snapped up and pierced into him as gave me a sad smile and said "I know, and my intention is not to stop you. I just needed to see you before you left. Just in case…" and he swallowed thickly, unable to finish the dreadful sentence that we both knew the answer to.

"Hey now, have a little faith in me. I'm sure Raven and I have pulled off far scarier stunts. I'm a tough girl" I murmured, trying to lighten the mood.

"If anything happens to you, I don't think I could live with myself for just letting you go" he pleaded.

"I know," I said gently "but this is my choice. I have to do what's right Charles. For all of us."

"Just be careful Ryleigh. I'll stay with you when you're in there" He said, tapping to his head."

I nodded and turned to walk away only to have him grab my arm and pull me into a fierce hug. I finally pulled away and headed towards the submarine. I took a deep breath and walked inside, determined to find Erik. At the same time, Charles began walking back to the aircraft remains. While he walked, he subconsciously hummed the song from Ryleigh's dream. "_say you love me more than you did before, and I'm sorry that it's this way. But i'm coming home, I'll be coming home, and if you ask me I will stay, I will stay…"_


End file.
